


Before Anything Else

by PrettyTheWorld



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Babylon, Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Post-Canon, Sexy Times, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 06:49:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17340599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyTheWorld/pseuds/PrettyTheWorld
Summary: Todd was holding court on the dance floor, alternating between hugging his admirers and sending winks and suggestive gestures to others clearly wanting a final go in the backroom before his departure. Otherwise, Babylon went on as usual, with music that was too loud, drinks that were too sweet, and writhing bodies filling in the rest of the space.“How many guys do you think have actually fucked Todd?” Justin wondered, accepting the beer Brian pressed into his hand.Brian huffed out a laugh. “Hundreds? Thousands? What do you expect when you’ve been the human bicycle of Liberty Avenue for the better part of thirty years?”





	Before Anything Else

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mander3_swish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mander3_swish/gifts).



> After years (no, really) of trying to figure out exactly how I wanted to tackle this, it finally came to fruition!
> 
> Written using the prompt: Pretty much want this to be funny I think...could get sappy or sentimental even if you want. the sexier the better but pwp not necessary. Todd/the whole gang. Todd decides the time has come for him to retire. The whole gang gives him a goodbye fuck (not necessarily all at once!!!). Everyone feels it's the end of an era. Or it could be some of them recalling a past encounter with Todd. Or from Todd's POV if you're up for a challenge. Could turn it into a 5-things fic too. 
> 
> Written for 2014-turned-2018 QAF Gift Exchange
> 
> Set ~13 years post-canon.

“I can’t believe Todd is actually leaving Pittsburgh.” Justin shook his head then leaned against the bathroom door frame, watching Brian fuss with a rogue strand of hair. The send-off party at Babylon had begun a half hour before, but in typical form, Brian insisted on arriving fashionably late. 

Brian shrugged, glancing over at Justin before returning his attention to the mirror. “There comes a time when every queen must abdicate her throne.” Satisfied, he turned back to Justin, straightening his vintage denim shirt. “Shall we?”

Emmett was waiting in the lobby, perched delicately on a peacock blue armchair, and smiled as they approached. “Evening, boys. Accommodations to your liking?

“It’s amazing, Em. It really looks terrific,” Justin replied. Emmett had recently purchased the old Liberty Inn and completely renovated it, opening Lula’s, a boutique hotel that perfectly married Emmett’s kitschy charm with a dash of Brian’s streamlined tastes and Ted’s sensible budgeting. The latter two acted as silent partners, allowing Emmett and Drew to oversee the hotel’s daily operations. 

Emmett’s face lit up and he clapped delightedly. “Oh, I’m so glad. That suite was designed especially with the two of you in mind. I couldn’t wait for you to visit so you could try it out.”

Brian smirked. “Oh, we’ve tried it. Several times.” Justin rolled his eyes, but didn’t bother attempting to dispute the truth. 

“So speaking of non-stop fucking,” Ted’s voice chimed in, as he walked over from the elevator, “ready to send Todd off in proper fashion?”

“I’m sure Todd’ll get plenty of farewells tonight,” Brian said, slinging an arm around Justin’s shoulders as the four walked into the brisk night and turned toward Babylon. “You can count me out, though. He got his goodbye from me over two decades ago.”

“Coincidentally, it was also his ‘hello’,” Ted quipped. 

“Very few have ever been worthy of repeat performances.” Brian’s arm tightened slightly around Justin with his casual declaration, though they all knew it was anything but. Justin bit his lip to hold back a smile at the acknowledgement. It meant more to him that he could express, knowing that he was the only one Brian had slept with more than once over the course of their eighteen-year relationship. Even more than that, he was the only one Brian had fucked period in the last eight years or so. 

“Does everyone have a Todd-fucking story?” Emmett asked, tilting his head quizzically. “I mean, I figure if even I do, everyone must.”

Ted stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face the group, gaping at Emmett. “Wait, _you_ fucked Todd? Em, I'm wounded! How did I not know this?” 

“Sorry, Teddy, guilty!” Emmett admitted, shrugging apologetically. “Back when I was relatively new to town. Michael took me to Boy Toy, somehow not realizing I was as nelly as they came--”

Brian interrupted with a snort. “Leave it to Mikey.”

“--and,” Emmett continued without missing a beat. “I realized that I was most definitely not in the right place to find a big strong man to dominate me, but there was Todd, probably barely a day over eighteen, and leaning into that backroom wall, just waiting. He had no idea who I was, no one in town did, so I figured, what the hell?”

“So you just walked over and fucked him?” Justin asked, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. Emmett continued his story as they fell back into step.

“Pretty much. I don’t remember exactly. God, it was twenty-some years ago now… I think I went up to him and asked if he was waiting for something special, and it went from there. I don’t think we ever talked about it again. Not long after that, Michael introduced us,” Emmett gestured at Brian, “and we started going to Babylon instead, and eventually, so did he.”

“Where he maintained the same position for years to come,” Brian continued. “That’s how most of us found him.”

Ted surprised them when he spoke up. “Actually, I fucked him at a party.” 

“Theodore, my virtue!” Brian teased, holding a hand over his mouth in mock-horror. “When was this debauchery?”

Ted cleared his throat, sounding a bit timid. “It was actually a crystal party back in 03. Probably not one of my proudest moments. I actually don’t remember that much of it either, other than when I realized it was Todd, my predominant thought was, ‘Finally.’ I figured I was probably the last of the gang to achieve that milestone.” 

Emmett winced a little at the revelation, but recovered quickly. It was a period of time that was still a bit of a sensitive topic for the two of them, but both had done well at putting it behind them over the years, and it was rarely brought up. “What about you, Brian?” he asked, changing the subject. 

“Fuck if I remember,” Brian admitted. “I wasn’t exactly keeping track for awhile. I just knew who I had and hadn’t fucked. It was definitely in the backroom of Babylon, though.”

“Before me, though, right?” Justin asked. “I feel like I’d remember otherwise.”

Brian laughed. “I don’t even want to think of how old you were when it happened, Sunshine. I was over ten years deep into the club scene by the time you came along.”

“Ancient,” Ted murmured, whistling through his teeth.

“At least some of us aren’t over _fifty_ ,” Brian snarled, though there was no real heat behind it. 

Ted held his hands up in surrender, chuckling, “Touché!” 

“Last but not least,” Emmett continued, gesturing at Justin. 

“I remember, actually,” Justin said, glancing up at Brian. “It was when we were broken up briefly. I used to wait til I saw Brian go into the backroom and then find someone and get within his eyeshot to fuck them.”

Brian groaned. “Drove me absolutely fucking insane.”

“That was the point,” Justin laughed, nudging him in the ribs. “I knew it would, even though you acted like you didn’t want me.”

“Baby, there has never been a time in the history of Brian-and-Justin that this man didn’t want you,” Emmett drawled, wrapping his arms around both of them from behind. “You two were always meant to end up together.”

Ted smiled wryly, directing them to the private side entrance to Babylon and swiping in with his keycard. “Leave it to you Em, directing a conversation about all four of us miraculously fucking the same guy into something sentimental.”

“Well enough of that,” Brian decided. He took Justin by the hand, leading him through the back office and onto the main club floor, eyes sweeping the crowd as they approached the bar.

Todd was holding court on the dance floor, alternating between hugging his admirers and sending winks and suggestive gestures to others clearly wanting a final go in the backroom before his departure. Otherwise, Babylon went on as usual, with music that was too loud, drinks that were too sweet, and writhing bodies filling in the rest of the space. 

“How many guys do you think have actually fucked Todd?” Justin wondered, accepting the beer Brian pressed into his hand. 

Brian huffed out a laugh. “Hundreds? Thousands? What do you expect when you’ve been the human bicycle of Liberty Avenue for the better part of thirty years?”

“Hey,” Justin said, realizing something. “Did Michael fuck Todd too?”

“Ask him yourself,” Brian replied, smiling as he saw his best friend and Ben walking across the room.

Michael noticed Brian and waved, changing his direction to meet up with them. “Hey guys!”

“Brian! Justin!” Ben added, hugging them both. 

“So Mikey, Justin wants to know if you’ve ever fucked Todd,” Brian began immediately, and Michael started to laugh. 

“Oh my god.”

Ben grinned. “This is good.”

“Have you, Professor?” Brian asked, raising an eyebrow and seeming vaguely impressed. “I, perhaps mistakenly, would’ve ruled you out.”

Ben simply shrugged, gesturing for Michael to answer first. 

“Todd was actually the first guy I ever topped,” Michael confessed, his tone a bit conspiratorial. 

Justin’s eyes widened, and he almost spit the sip of beer he’d just taken. “But he wasn’t like the first guy you’d ever had real sex with….”

Michael shook his head. “What? No, of course not. But I’d actually never been the one doing the fucking, and I was worried I wouldn’t know what to do if I ever ended up in that situation with someone I actually cared about, so I wanted to practice--”

“And, despite his best suggestions, he wasn’t about to practice on me,” Brian interrupted, smirking. 

“--so Brian suggested I try with Todd.” 

“He didn’t discriminate,” Brian offered simply. “Kid practically lubed himself waiting for it, and he didn’t have that much experience yet, so it was a sure bet.” 

“So, did you stand there and give him pointers?” Justin asked Brian, wondering how he’d never heard this story before. Nearly twenty years of sharing practically every life experience imaginable, and it still amazed him how much he still didn’t know about the time before he’d joined their little family unit. 

Michael covered his face at the same time Brian said, “Of course, do you think I’d just let my dearest friend go off to war without a proper arsenal?”

Justin rolled his eyes before looking back at Michael. “Did you enjoy it?”

The dim lights were not enough to hide the blush on Michael’s face, though he was laughing. “It was my first time with my dick inside something that wasn't a mouth or a hand, so I’m sure I did, but… I barely lasted a full minute.”

“Oh shit,” Justin murmured, grinning and shaking his head. 

“I can vouch for his improved endurance,” Ben offered, pulling Michael into his side and pressing a kiss to his temple.

“Jesus, I would hope so!” Brian teased. He gestured for the bartender to send over two more drinks for Michael and Ben, then nodded toward Ben. “You’re up, Professor. Last and hopefully not least.”

Ben smiled ruefully. “To answer your original question, Brian, I have, actually. It just wasn’t a time I’m particularly fond of recalling.”

Michael put a hand on Ben’s arm. “Honey, you don’t have to.”

“It’s fine, Michael, it was a long time ago. Feels like a lifetime ago, really,” Ben assured.

“Maybe for some of us,” Brian muttered, glancing toward the dance floor where Todd was surrounded by a group of younger guys, all fervently committed to dancing along to a remix of Britney Spears’ Toxic blasting through the speakers. 

“Anyway,” Ben continued, “mine wasn’t long after I found out I was positive. Back then, it was tough finding just about anyone willing to have sex with me so, for awhile, I wasn’t especially particular, and Todd was a willing participant, even after I disclosed my status. He just made me promise to wear a condom, and that was that.”

“Well cheers to that,” Brian said, passing beers over to Michael and Ben. 

Before they could toast, Todd walked by them, heading to the bar for his own drink. “Hey Todd, how’s it going?” Justin called out, causing the other man to pause and turn around. 

“Fine,” he said, grinning, then gestured toward the bar. “Gimme just a sec!”

Brian and Justin exchanged an amused look as Ted and Emmett sauntered up to join the group. “We were looking for you,” Emmett said, his cosmo precariously close to sloshing over the edge of his martini glass. “Have you seen the guest of honor?” 

Michael pointed toward the bar in response. 

Todd returned a few seconds later, holding something fruity and pink with maraschino cherries floating at the bottom. “You boys having fun?”

“Always,” Brian said, tipping his drink in Todd’s direction. 

Justin smiled, nodding in Todd’s direction. “It’s going to be so strange without you here.” 

“Oh-em-gee, riiiiight?” Todd drawled, nodding emphatically. “It’s like… so cray to think about leaving, but, like… new year, new me or whatever, you know?”

“Well, we all wish you the best of luck in your new endeavors,” Ben said, squeezing Todd’s shoulder. 

“A toast to Todd,” Emmett continued, holding up his glass. “May you have the same success the Pitts has brought to you.” The others lifted their cups in agreement. 

“You’re gonna make me cry again,” Todd wailed. 

“To Todd!” everyone said in unison, then sipped from their drinks. 

Todd took a long pull from his cocktail and then grinned, his eyes a bit glassy as he looked at them. “Awww, you guys are squad goals AF! For as long as I’ve been coming here, you’ve always been here together. I mean, I seriously can’t even!”

“Hey Todd,” someone called from back on the dance floor. “We need you!”

Todd squinted in the direction of his summons, smiled and waved, then turned back to the guys. “I’ve gotta bounce, but I’m so glad you all came. Maybe I’ll feel ya later in the backroom!” With a wink, he turned back toward the crowd and slinked away, the sound of “YAAAAAAS!” echoing in his wake.

“Someone should inform Todd he missed the millennial cut-off by about twenty years,” Brian said, not even attempting to hide his amusement. They all chuckled. 

“C’mon, _bae_. You don’t think he’s just trying to keep with the times?” Justin teased. 

“Call me that one more time, and we’ll see who’s fucking you in the backroom tonight, sweetheart,” Brian shot back, smirking. Justin just smiled and rolled his eyes. In reality, it had been awhile since they’d had sex in the backroom of a club, these days, much preferring the comforts of home or a hotel to more public, less sanitary alternatives. 

The evening continued through another round of drinks, eventually culminating with Todd giving yet another tearful round of goodbyes, this time, in the form of a speech from the Babylon stage. Once he finished, he was escorted by a young drag queen they didn’t recognize. “Alright, sweetheart, let’s give everyone one last famous look to remember you by,” she cried into her microphone. Todd turned back toward the crowd and the drag queen stopped him. “No, no, baby, let’s give them the view they’ll all recognize!” and turned him around so his backside was facing his audience. Everyone whooped and cheered as the music came back up and Todd left the stage in a blaze of glory, appearing to head toward the rear of the club.

“It really will be weird without him here,” Michael said, turning his attention back to his friends. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone into the backroom, with intent or otherwise, and not seen him pressed against a wall.” 

“The end of an era,” Ted agreed.

“Probably even more than when Brian left Babylon,” Michael continued.

“I’m still here,” Brian barked, giving Michael the finger, though small smirk played at the corners of his mouth. 

Michael scoffed. “Well, you know what I mean. You and Justin have been in New York for so long now, but you used to be here almost every night for years! If Todd was known for getting fucked, you were definitely the one known for doing the fucking.” 

Brian gave a bored shrug. “It filled the hours.”

“Among other things,” Emmett teased, nudging Brian playfully. 

“At least Brian knew when it was time to move on,” Ben pointed out.

Brian wrapped an arm around Justin. “When you’ve earned luxury, you stop shopping the bargain bin.” He paused, fingering the shoulder of Justin’s soft blue zip-neck sweater. “Speaking of which, you look fucking hot in this.”

Justin smirked. “You should think so, you picked it out and insisted I should wear it tonight.” 

“Gucci?” Michael asked. 

“Burberry,” Brian supplied. “And I think we’re about to find out how well high-end cashmere blends hold up against the backroom walls these days. Up for it, Sunshine?”

Justin glanced up quickly, trying to mask his surprise. “Uh, sure.” The others glanced at each other knowingly, figuring it was only apropos that an evening of recapturing lost youth at Babylon would end with Brian fucking Justin in the backroom, just like old times. Only Ben seemed to have a glimmer of a different understanding in his eyes, but chose not to say anything. 

With parting words and final waves, Brian and Justin threw back the rest of their beers and Brian pulled Justin toward the backroom entrance, waiting til they were out of view to divert him toward a side exit instead. 

When they got outside, Brian turned back to Justin, but before he could open his mouth, Justin spoke instead, his voice holding a long-practiced tone that would ensure Brian knew he wasn’t offering anything more than understanding. 

“How about you fuck me in our custom-designed hotel room instead?”

Brian nodded, took his hand, and they walked back to Lula’s in companionable silence. 

***

When they got back to the suite, Justin wordlessly followed Brian to the bedroom and crawled onto the mattress with him, both of them still fully dressed. 

“Michael talks a lot,” Justin finally offered, causing Brian to snort out a tired laugh.

“It’s fine. I’ve dealt with Mikey for over three decades now.”

“I know,” Justin said, threading his fingers through Brian’s. “His timing just sucks sometimes.”

Brian cleared his throat and rolled his head toward Justin, looking at him earnestly. “It does, but none of that matters. I just wanted to get the fuck out of there, because for the first time--maybe ever--I just didn’t _want_ to be there anymore, within the confines of Babylon.” 

Justin waited, sensing Brian had more on his mind.

“The shit about the past was almost like listening to them talk about someone else. I’m not… I’d never be ashamed of who I was. I’m fucking proud of a lot of it. You know my motto--no apologies, no regrets, and I think I’ve done a damn good job sticking to that. For better or for worse,” Brian continued. He rolled onto his side, pulling his hand out of Justin’s and using his other to fiddle with the hem of Justin’s sweater.

Justin hummed his agreement.

“I think tonight, seeing Todd and his midlife crisis of a life, I felt true satisfaction in knowing I left that part behind.”

Justin nodded, sucking in a breath as Brian’s hand creeped under his sweater, tracing around the soft skin of his abdomen. “I probably wouldn’t have said it back then, but, in hindsight, I think you let it go at the right time. If it had happened any earlier, I don’t think we would’ve been able to end up where we have either.”

“I would’ve felt trapped,” Brian confirmed, his fingers moving south, dipping below the waistline of Justin’s jeans. Justin reached down and opened his fly, effectively granting Brian full access. 

“You would’ve resented me,” Justin added. 

“Maybe,” Brian agreed, gently releasing Justin’s half-hard dick from his briefs and beginning to stroke it. Justin moaned softly, arching into the touch before speaking. 

“I didn’t fuck around for as long as you, but it was fun when I did… better when I wasn’t trying to make you jealous,” he said, giving Brian a wry smile. Brian returned the look and continued his ministrations, pausing only to slide Justin’s underwear and jeans down his legs. “I just don’t think I’d still enjoy it now. It became something different when it became just us all the time, you know? Like, it was _always_ fun, but now, we come up with new ways to keep it exciting, and I love that.”

“And you love that I fuck you raw, which, by the way, 30-year-old me would be shitting himself over,” Brian said, maneuvering so his free hand could slip through Justin’s thighs to settle between his cheeks, his index finger just barely grazing Justin’s hole. 

“I know.” Justin moved to pull off his sweater, knowing that waiting much longer would make it a lot more difficult to look the dry cleaner in the eye. 

“Just take the rest off,” Brian suggested, shifting to do the same. When they met again, they pressed together skin-to-skin, both of their desires evident. Brian gave Justin a deep kiss before continuing, his voice low and aroused, sounding like a filthy secret. “For what it’s worth, I love fucking you raw too, love feeling every part of you without a barrier, love knowing that you’re mine and I’m the only one who’s ever had you this way.”

Justin pulled back, his eyes twinkling. “Gee, Mr. Kinney. If I didn’t know better, I might just think that you love _me_.” 

“We’re way past that, brat.” Brian’s hand resumed a lazy stroke on Justin’s fully hard dick, and when Justin was right at the edge, he leaned in again, kissing him through his orgasm.

“Do you think we’d ever fuck in the backroom again?” Justin asked a few minutes later, as Brian crawled between his legs to prepare him.

Brian shrugged, two lubed fingers gently working Justin open. “Would you want that?”

“I don’t know, I mean, not really. I guess if we were out at a club and--Jesus Christ--” Brian grinned, quirking his finger again and not looking remotely apologetic as Justin struggled to find his voice. “If we were both really horny and it would take too long to get home, I wouldn’t rule it out, but I feel like ‘fucking’ is just a term of convenience, it’s not really what we do--”

Brian held up his free hand. “Don’t fucking say it. You know I hate that terminology!”

Justin laughed. “I wasn’t going to say _making love_ \--”

“You just fucking said it.”

“You kinda set it up so I had to,” Justin argued. “But you know I don’t like it either.”

“It’s a clichéd term. Total bourgeoisie Harlequin romance novel shit. We don’t do that. We _won’t_.” 

“I agree!” Justin insisted. “But you know what I mean.”

Brian pushed Justin’s knees forward, giving himself enough clearance to line up, the head of his cock resting against Justin’s entrance. When he pressed in, Justin hissed in pleasure, and Brian waited until he bottomed out and started a slow thrusting rhythm before he started talking again. “Babylon used to be a conquest, a challenge, a plethora of untapped ass--whatever you want to call it. It was a way to get off as quickly and as many times as possible. It wasn’t gentle, it usually wasn’t slow, and it definitely didn’t feel anything more than good.” He paused, considering his next words, but started stroking Justin again in the meantime, matching the steady pace of his hips. 

“This is different,” Justin offered, wrapping his hand around Brian’s to indicate the pace he wanted. Brian sped up his thrusts to match, the quiet slap of their skin the only sound as Brian continued to contemplate what he wanted to say next. 

Finally, he seemed to settle on something. “I wondered tonight if Todd has ever felt anything like this, with any of the thousands of guys who have fucked him over the years, if he’s ever felt so completely gone, mind, body and soul for the person fucking him. I know I never did for any of the others I fucked, not even once. Even the prospect completely repulsed me.”

Justin nodded. “I never did for any of the others either. I only thought I did with Ethan, but I know now that it’s only ever been you. It’s never been a question.” He paused, giving Brian a smug look. “Todd’s probably never had an intimate conversation in the midst of having his ass pounded either.” 

“I’ve always been a firm believer in multi-tasking.” Brian hit Justin’s prostate as his hand twisted over the head of Justin’s dick, as if to prove his point, and Justin groaned his approval. Brian started thrusting deeper, his breath growing too labored to continue their conversation, exchanging words for lingering kisses as they continued to chase their orgasms. 

After they both finally climaxed, Brian gently lowered himself on top of Justin, wrapping their sweaty bodies together in an embrace. “I never thought I’d want this,” he murmured into Justin’s neck, a quiet confession. “But now I don’t know what I’d do without it.”

Justin pressed a kiss to Brian’s temple, touched by the admission. “I’d have to say we’re in agreement.”

Brian glanced up at him and smirked. ”Good to know.”

“Todd’ll probably continue having his fun wherever he goes,” Justin continued. “But he’ll never know what he’s missing.”

“I know, riiiiight?” Brian did an impressively accurate impression of the evening’s guest of of honor.

Justin’s eyes danced with mischief. “Totally… _bae_.”


End file.
